In this article

Timeline Georgian and Regency style of gardening

Georgian and Regency characters Georgian and Regency themes

Pineapples

Henry Telende in 1720 created a hotbed that enabled pineapples to be grown in Britain. By the 1750s pineapple pits were all the rage among the well-heeled gentry of English society.

Apples

William Forsyth published the Treatise on the Culture and Management of Fruit in 1802 . Fruit growing was becoming increasingly popular and books on practical fruit growing were selling fast. William Forsyth's Treatise on the Culture and Management of Fruit went through seven new editions between 1802 and 1824. The books lists 300 different apples and 100 pears that could be grown and - because of the development of greenhouses - exotic fruits, such as apricots and nectarines.

Auricula theatre

Small wooden theatres or staging were created throughout the Regency period to show off these delicate primula flowers.

Soil improvements

One of the sections of John Loudon's book the Encyclopaedia of Gardening deals with improving soil conditions. It recommends burying the carcasses of dogs, deer and even horses in the soil.

Partially rotted fish was another method used to increase the fertility and consistency of the soil. Nowadays, animal by-products such as blood, fish and bone are still used as garden fertilisers.

Lawnmowers

Before 1830 lawns were cut with scythes, which was extremely labour intensive and left an extremely rough finish. Edwin Budding got his idea for a mower while working at a textile industry where they used a machine that shaved the fabric to give it a smooth finish. By 1858, more than 7,000 machines had been sold.

Alexander Shanks of Arbroath registered a pony-pulled mower that cleared the clippings in 1841. To avoid the hooves leaving indentations in the lawn, soft brown leather shoes were wrapped around the horse's feet.

Fruit growing

Fruit growing was becoming increasingly popular. And books on practical fruit growing were selling fast, with William Forsyth's Treatise on the Culture and Management of Fruit going through seven new editions between 1802 and 1824. The books lists 300 different apples and 100 pears that could be grown and - because of the development of greenhouses - exotic fruits, such as apricots and nectarines.